Rise in emergency patients

No patient had to wait longer than 12 hours to be treated at Craigavon Hospital’s Emergency Department over the past three months, according to the latest statistics.

However just 73% of patients were treated within the ministerial target of four hours, the report stated.

Of all the Emergency Departments in the province Craigavon Area reported the largest percentage decrease in performance (74.2% in April 2015 to 73.2% in June 2015)

However between April and June 2015, attendances increased at nine of the eleven EDs with the largest increase in attendances reported by Craigavon Area (559), from 6,533 in April to 7,092 in June.

A spokesperson for the Southern Trust said: “Between April and June 2015, Craigavon’s Emergency Department had the largest increase across Northern Ireland in monthly attendances (559), from 6,533 in April 2015 to 7,092 in June 2015.

“Despite the extra demands, no patients waited longer than the 12 hour Ministerial target in Craigavon’s Emergency Department [and] the vast majority were treated within four hours.”